Michael Clifford: Large Garda presence means protests end with a whimper 

At RTÉ, dozens of members of the force stood, masked, arms folded, scattered in formation, ready to either repel the enemy or break out with another shot at Jerusalema, depending on how the day went

Garda speak to a lone demonstrator on O'Connell Street in Dublin city centre ahead of the planned anti-lockdown protest on Wednesday. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

For a while yesterday, in a salubrious enclave of Dublin 4, it would have been possible to kid yourself that this was a typical Paddy’s Day. A good-time vibe permeated the crowd gathered around the bandstand in Herbert Park.

They had come to voice their general displeasure at the lockdown and get a few other things off their chests. But they could just as easily have congregated for a knees-up.